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Emotional numbing in relation to stressful civilian experiences among college students
Author(s) -
Flack William F.,
Milanak Melissa E.,
Kimble Matthew O.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.20066
Subject(s) - psychology , fight or flight response , clinical psychology , context (archaeology) , paleontology , biochemistry , chemistry , biology , gene
Investigators have shown that hyperarousal is the best predictor of emotional numbing (EN), as compared with avoidance and reexperiencing. The aim of the present study was to extend this finding to the context of stressful civilian experiences among college students. Participants ( N = 1,292) completed self‐report checklists of stressful civilian experiences and PTSD symptoms. The results of multiple regression analyses in two subsamples consistently indicated that both hyperarousal and avoidance were good predictors of EN. These findings suggest that avoidance may play a more important role in the relationship between hyperarousal and EN in college students.